A closer look at the Brown Pelican

Anywhere you go along the Texas Gulf coast one of the most impressive birds you'll see is the brown pelican. These beautiful and common large water birds can be seen flying in groups up and down the beach or over the breaking waves, occasionally diving into the water and catching fish in their large beaks. (check out the hook at the end of the beak to help the bird hold on to the fish) When they're not flying, they sit at the water's edge on rocks or pilings and preen like the one seen in this photo. Here's a picture of three of them flying over some rough waves on a cloudy and windy day at a Galveston Texas beach.

These two flew overhead the following day when it was sunny and a blue sky...

Next time we'll take a closer look at another beautiful Texas shorebird...